Well, I know chickens are great for the garden, but...exactly how so?? I have been using the DLM for my coop, and now have two large trash bins filled with pine shavings & poop from the last cleanout. How do I use this for compost? I already have a (full) compost bin and do not wish to do much to the litter to correctly compost it--the chickens are enough work! Can I spread it in my garden beds before (or after) winter? Can I sprinkle it on my lawn? What can I do with it to actually utilize it's benefits? Again, I don't want to do much to it and all of the "hot" "cold" "green" "brown" stuff just confuses me. How can I use the litter efficiently & quickly? I also have a pile of my rakings from the run. This has way more poop and no litter. I'd also love to do something with this. Would love any and all thoughts on this! Thanks, and if this post is in the wrong section, I'm sorry!
I'm also not a very scientific composter. I keep it in a big pile and the grass clipping go there too. I keep the pile loosely covered with a tarp. In the fall, when the veggies are done, I shovel the stuff into the garden to winter there as well as fallen leaves. That's all. I had a great crop of tomatoes this year.
Quote:Even if some of the "stuff" is still fairly fresh or the entire mixture still hot, you can put it on top of your garden (assuming it's done for the year). Let the winter do its thing, and dig/till the litter in next spring.
Howdy -- I learned the hard way that poop placed straight into the garden will burn plants. I add the poop to our compost bin and let it mellow. Good luck!
I have a poop and shavings pile that I keep until fall and I throw it on my garden beds which I wont plant on until spring. My process with the run is I skim off the top few inches of compost they made me and put it in the garden beds, then I clean out the coup and put the shavings in the run. Then I fill it up with leaves. Then next fall I do it all over again. They make me nice compost with no effort!
I have the "lazy chicken keeper's composting system." I make a compost bin in the chickens' pen. Everything goes in there and they shred and turn it for me. When it's full I start a second bin and let the first one rest for a half-year. By then it's gorgeous, dark compost, ready for the garden. You can see photos on my blog. Here's one, and you can do an archive search for others. http://www.hencam.com/henblog/2011/06/the-compost-queen/
Just dump it direct onto the garden when it is done in fall. Spread it out. Done. Life's too short to make simple things complicated. Do not apply fresh manure any later than Feb 28. That is a pretty hard and fast rule for us. During the growing season, do not apply, just let it pile up somewhere. It is not only too hot, it is an considered an unsafe practice. Love chicken litter manure. We could not run our organic gardens without it. It is absolutely golden!!!! Read this: http://umaine.edu/publications/2510e/ Simple, clear and understandable.
learned of this on u tube...for a better producing garden... First top with weeds then top with cardboard that has been poked so air can travel through then generously cover with shavings...I figure a little added poop has got to be a good thing then cover with pocked plastc... am trying it...hope it will be a good thing...
If you are using the DLM then most of it should be composted. After all all you do is turn it a few times a week and empty coop twice a year. Just dump it on fall garden it will be fine. I do it every year on mine.
